Players to Target (03/02/16)

Life is full of choices. Even a night out to watch sports comes with a few decisions to make. You have to choose what sports bar to hit up. Do you go for the big chain with more (and larger) TVs or the local spot where the wings are a bit meatier? Once you get where you're going, what game do you focus on? The NHL season is in full swing, college hoops is entering its most exciting part of the year, and almost every NBA game has playoff implications. Once you've picked a game, what beer do you drink? Domestic? Import? Local? Craft? None?

My point is that we all have a million decisions to make in life, even when it comes to fun stuff. But we're all about service here at Prediction Machine. So today, I'm going to take a decision off your plate for each of the next seven days. Here's a day-by-day look at players to target for your NBA Daily Fantasy lineups over the next week.

I have a rule when I set these DFS targets: No players on the road in the second half of a back-to-back. I'm setting fire to that rule to target Damian Lillard against the Boston Celtics tonight. Lillard has declared war on the rest of the NBA since receiving an All-Star snub for the second straight season. Dame's destroyed everything in his path, scoring 35+ fantasy points in his each of his last five games. The guy's on fire right now, but riding his hot hand comes at a premium; expect to pay close to $10,000 for all that production.

If you're looking for a cheaper, but still consistent option at the PG position, look no further than the Celtics' own Marcus Smart. The rookie's good for 20-25 fantasy points, and he'll only cost you somewhere in the neighborhood of $5,000.

Whiteside has proven to be a fantasy beast whether he's part of the starting five or coming off the bench. The young shot-blocker is averaging north of 45 fantasy points per game over his last five, thanks in large part to assuming more offensive responsibilities in the wake of the Chris Bosh injury. Here's a scary thought, Whiteside's numbers could get better, as new teammate Joe Johnson provides a three-point threat that will have defenders thinking twice about helping guard Whiteside in the paint. The Phoenix Suns come east to visit Miami tomorrow night, and there's no one on the Phoenix team plane that can challenge Whiteside. Expect him to dominate.

Remember the rule I set on fire to target Damian Lillard on Wednesday? Well, I gathered the ashes and scattered them at the feet of my local shaman. The shaman shook and chanted some mumbo-jumbo, conjuring the destroyed strategy back to life to help me pick a DFS target for Friday. The freefalling Suns are on the road for a second consecutive night against the Orlando Magic, who are in the middle of a playoff push and need to feast on weaker teams. Consider Victor Oladipo a strong fantasy play. He has a great season-long average of around 30 fantasy points/game, but I expect him to pour it on against a Phoenix team playing its second road game in consecutive nights.

Date: Saturday, March 5

Target: Jrue Holiday – PG, New Orleans Pelicans

With Tyreke Evans out for the season, Holiday has had to pick up the slack on the scoring end and he has been killing it. Since the All-Star break, Holiday is averaging over 21 points and nine assists per game. Over that same stretch, he's been even better at home, where he'll suit up against the Utah Jazz on Saturday. Holiday has enjoyed a fantasy uptick of close to 10 points per game over his last 10 games and he shows no signs of slowing down.

With a knee injury sidelining Jimmy Butler, Doug McDermott has blossomed into the perimeter threat everyone expected him to be when the Bulls drafted him out of Creighton. Plus, he's been much more effective off the dribble, taking it to the rack for high-percentage shots. McDermott (whose fantasy salary is just now hitting the $4,000 mark) has been killing it recently. To put his improvement in perspective, his average fantasy output for the season is only around 14 points per game, but he's scoring about 21 fantasy points per game over his last five. The guy can flat-out shoot, and next Monday he's facing a Bucks team that will be tired from trying to slow down Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant and the rest of the Oklahoma City Thunder the day before.

Date: Tuesday, March 8

Target: Any Toronto Raptor

The Raptors are chasing the Cleveland Cavaliers for the top spot in the Eastern Conference, and six days from now they play a home game against their hapless Atlantic Division rivals the Brooklyn Nets. Every Raptor that's part of the team's usual rotation should put up decent fantasy numbers, so don't be afraid to plug in guys like Cory Joseph or Patrick Patterson in a salary pinch. Want one name? Fine. Kyle Lowry. He's a great passer, an excellent scorer, and if somehow the Nets make this a close game, we know from how he played down the stretch against the Cavs that he's cold-blooded in the clutch. There's a decent chance the Raps start sitting their stars in games like these, so check our Daily Fantasy News to make sure Lowry's available before you set your lineup. If he's not, take advantage of our Next Man Up tool for a replacement you can bank on.

There you have it, seven NBA DFS targets for each day of the next week. I hope unburdening you of these decisions frees up some of your time and makes your life a little less stressful. Until next week, play smart and get money.